


a single soul in two bodies

by politicalmamaduck



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dream Sex, Enthusiastic Consent, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Friendship, No Pregnancy, Oral Sex, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Safe to Read if You're Triggered by Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:16:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24577432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/politicalmamaduck/pseuds/politicalmamaduck
Summary: As Rey builds her friendship with Rose Tico, she builds a relationship of a different kind with Ben Solo.
Relationships: Rey & Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 13
Kudos: 28
Collections: The Reylo Fanfiction Anthology Birthday Gift Fics Collection





	a single soul in two bodies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lenuca](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lenuca/gifts).



> Written for my dear friend Lenuca on Tumblr for her birthday, 8th June.  
> Title taken from “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” ― Aristotle

_Pain. Anger. Frustration_. 

The feelings were overwhelming, and reached a boiling point. 

A woman screamed, primal with rage, at a man standing in front of her.

A lightsaber ignited in the darkness. 

A tree came crashing to the ground.

The woman, breathing heavily, fell to her knees in the jungle and started crying. 

* * *

A man and a woman entwined in the night. They did not speak; their minds and bodies conveyed what words did not. 

The woman broke away from the kiss, from her lover’s arms. 

“No,” she said. “You should have come home with me.” 

The man dissolved into the air, despair covering his sharp face. 

The woman tossed and turned in her bunk, unable to return to sleep until she imagined his hands and his mouth covering every part of her body while she touched herself in the darkness. 

* * *

“It happened again, didn’t it?” 

Rey was glad she was working in the _Millennium Falcon_ ’s bowels, her hands busy, and therefore didn’t have to meet Rose’s eyes. 

She often thought that if they ever met, Maz Kanata would have something profound to say about Rose Tico’s eyes. They were beautiful eyes that nothing slipped past. 

Nothing slipped past. 

Rey sighed. 

She hadn’t talked to Leia about Ben yet. There had been no privacy in the escape from Crait, and after that, no time. There was so much to do, and never enough hours in the day, no matter the planet on which they were. They had finally settled into a small base on Ajan Kloss. 

No one save Leia and Chewie knew Rey very well yet, not even Finn, who was already becoming such a leader in the Resistance. Rey and Rose were both proud of him, even if it meant they were all separated for various tasks and missions. 

But Rose--Rose knew something was wrong, even if she didn’t know Rey very well yet. Rose noticed the dark circles under her eyes, heard Rey’s nightmares, and already knew about the bond. They were practically roommates, volunteering to stay with Chewie in the _Falcon’s_ quarters while the base was being fixed up. 

Rey and Rose’s current mission was helping Chewie repair the Falcon again. The temperamental old bird was up to her usual tricks, aided by the flock of porgs that had taken up residence while Rey and Chewie were on Ahch-To. 

Rose heard Rey crying in the middle of the night, waking them both up. Rose knew Rey could see someone who wasn’t actually there. 

“Would you pass me the hydrospanner?” Rey called, only to find Rose suddenly appearing directly in front of her. Rey had neither heard her coming, nor felt her in the Force. Rey was distracted.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Rose said, handing her the hydrospanner. Rose crossed her arms, looking stern while covered in sweat and grease and with her hair sticking up and out all over the place. 

“Yes, it happened again,” Rey said, quietly, focusing on the repairs and still not meeting Rose’s eyes.

“You need to talk to the General,” Rose said. 

“I know. But there’s never a good time. And she’s still healing from the attack. And--” Rey’s voice trailed off. 

_And I don’t know how to talk to a mother about her son_.

 _A son that I loved_. 

_A son that I love._

_I want to help him, Leia. I just don’t know how. I thought I could save him._

_He needs to save himself._

“And you need to stop making excuses,” Rose said. “The General always makes time for us. She’ll want to know about this, Rey. She deserves to know, too.”

“You’re right, Rose. I know you’re right. It’s just--”

“It’s just what?”

_I screamed and threw my lightsaber at him when I saw him again for the first time. I was so angry, so hurt that he wouldn’t come back home with me, that he stayed with the First Order and the Dark Side._

_Between my emotions and throwing the ‘saber, I destroyed a tree in the jungle._

_I dream about him._

_I dream about …_

Rey took a deep breath. She could trust Rose. Finn trusted Rose. Leia trusted Rose. 

“Rose, how did you know you loved Finn?” 

“I just knew. He was a good partner, he was willing to listen and learn from his mistakes, and even sacrifice himself for all of us. I knew he was a loyal friend to you. It was easy to fall in love with him. He accepted me for who I was.” Rose paused, shaking her head. “Do you love Ben? Despite everything?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Rey answered. 

Rose sighed and shook her head. “You really need to talk to the General,” she said, then pulled Rey into a warm embrace. “I know you can bring him back,” she whispered into Rey’s ear. 

Rey didn’t answer. She savored the feeling of arms around her, even if they weren’t the broad, muscular arms for which she longed. 

Just a few weeks ago she had never had a friend before. Now she had two friends, a Wookiee mentor and copilot, and whatever Ben was to her. 

She and Rose finished the repairs for the day, then turned in for an early night. 

* * *

Rey awoke in a bed that was far softer than hers. She looked around, but it wasn’t Ben’s bed on the _Finalizer_ either; this bed was also softer than his. The sheets were luxurious, and there was more than one pillow and a canopy overhead. 

There was a light coming from under a door to her right. It must have been a refresher, for she could hear water running. 

The water turned off, as did the light, and the door opened. A heavy footstep indicated its owner. 

“Ben?” Rey asked. 

“Rey?” he said, furrowing his brow. She sighed. “Where are we this time?”

“Coruscant. How did you show up here?”

“I don’t know.”

“There’s a lot we don’t know about this bond.”

“Except that Snoke didn’t create it.”

“No, he didn’t,” Ben said, running his hand through his hair. “Do you mind if I sit?” he asked, gesturing to the other side of the bed. 

Rey nodded and gestured at the empty space.

Ben sat down. 

Neither said anything for several minutes. It was too quiet in this room, quite unlike the _Falcon_ , which was always humming, or the Resistance base, filled with people crammed in too small a space. 

“What are you doing on Coruscant?” Rey finally asked, when the silence seemed unbearable, heavy and oppressive. 

“Research,” Ben answered. “I was hoping to find out more about this.” He gestured between the two of them. 

“I thought the Emperor destroyed the Jedi archives.”

“He did,” Ben said, his eyes downcast. Sadness and loneliness permeated his Force presence, as usual. 

_You’re not alone_.

_Neither are you._

“I’m sorry,” Rey whispered. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. 

“Me too,” Ben said. “I have access to his archives, but it mostly contains information about the Sith.”

“That’s not surprising.”

She felt a flash of pain, anger, and frustration from him.

“No, you’re right,” he said, bitterness leeching his timbre from every word. “I’ve been searching for answers to things my entire life. Why should this be any different?”

He got up from the bed and turned his back to her. His shoulders were tense as he ran his hands through his hair again and again. 

“I am sorry, Ben,” she said. “I want answers, too.” 

“I know you do,” he said, returning to sit down next to her again. 

Silence settled between them once more. 

“Ben, when I said I was sorry--” Rey started, but he shook his head. 

“I knew what you meant.”

_I’m sorry I threw that lightsaber at you._

_I’m sorry I broke off our kiss._

_I’m sorry we’re not actually together._

He held her hand before she faded away into darkness. 

* * *

Rose solidly trounced Rey in a round of Dejarik the next day. Even Chewie roared his approval. 

<You did well, young cub,> he told her. To Rey, he added, <Grimtaash was always Ben’s favorite piece, too.>

Rey looked up from the board, startled at his words. 

“Chewie, tell Rey she needs to talk to the General,” Rose said. 

<Rose is right,> Chewie said. <Leia should know there is still hope for Ben to return.>

“I’ll talk to her,” Rey said, nodding at both her friends. “I promise.” 

They left the Dejarik table and cleaned up from lunch before returning to their chores. Rey moved slowly, her heart and mind somewhere else, far across the stars. 

What was he doing? Did he regret his decision to stay with the First Order yet? 

Rose tried to engage her in conversation throughout the day, but Rey’s answers were monosyllabic, muddled by the fog in her mind and the sounds of repairs. 

After a nearly silent dinner, Rose pressed Rey’s hand. 

“Sleep well,” she said, concern evident on her face, before retiring to her own quarters.

Rey fell asleep shortly after turning in, her mind exhausted though her body was not. 

* * *

Was she dreaming? Was she awake? Did it matter?

It was happening again, and she let it happen. 

It felt so good to find his arms around her, his hands gentle as they caressed her skin.

No one had ever touched her like that before. She wanted it-- and she wanted him. She gave in to her deepest desires, though she knew she should not. 

They were no longer alone. She felt alive when she was with him, her body on fire, attuned to his touch and to his body. 

So she allowed it to happen, embraced it as she embraced him. 

It was finally Rey running her hands through Ben’s thick, dark waves of hair as she had longed to do, rather than him pulling it in frustration at the answers that still eluded him. 

She pulled his head back to kiss. He arched his back and leaned into her.

He moaned into her mouth when she grinded on his length. 

“Take your shirt off,” she ordered, and he obeyed.

She begrudgingly removed her hands from his hair to stroke down the broad planes of his chest. She could feel his heartbeat increase, his breathing grow ragged. 

She reached his waistband and paused. 

“May I?” she asked quietly. He inhaled, and then breathed out “Yes.”

She undid his pants, pulling them down and over his length, then tossed them to the floor. 

He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her again before she could do anything else. “Rey,” he said, his eyes dark with desire and love. 

She cupped his cheek and opened herself up to him in the Force. His presence was soothing, a sharp contrast to their increased heart rate as they explored each other’s bodies. 

“Ben,” she said, kissing him in return, savoring the physical and emotional sensations.

She ran her hands down his back the way she had his chest. She kneaded some of the tension out of his muscles, savoring his sighs and the way his body felt as he relaxed. 

He gently removed her tunic and breast band, dropping them to the floor with his clothing. He caressed her body the way she had his, before taking one of her breasts into his mouth, before returning his attention to the other. Rey arched into him, sighing with pleasure. 

Her core felt warm and wet, and she was desperate for friction, for the release she knew he would give her. 

She reached for his cock, stroking him lightly at first, and then more firmly. 

_You’re so beautiful, so good to me, Rey_ , came across her mind. 

_I want you_ , she answered. 

He kissed her. 

_Please, Ben_. 

_Not quite yet_ , he said, placing her softly onto his pillows, then bending down to pleasure her with his mouth. 

She moaned as he circled her clit and delved into her with his tongue. She grabbed at his hair, desperate for more. 

He added a finger, and she howled, not caring if anyone could hear. He went faster and faster until she came, seeing stars. 

“Ben,” she moaned, placing her hands on his as he guided himself into her. 

She was full, so full; he was big, but her body adapted as she breathed, holding him to her. 

He pulled her up into his arms, allowing them to adjust. 

They moved together, bodies and minds as one, until they climaxed, sending a reverberation through the Force. 

Rey fell asleep in Ben’s arms, and woke up in her own bed on the _Falcon_ once more. She felt soft and sated, and a little sore, but her sleep had been peaceful. 

She hoped that Ben was feeling the same. 

She rolled over and groaned; her chrono showed she was late for breakfast with Rose. 

They had so much to discuss, and Rey knew what Rose would say. 

Rey prepared herself to finally make her confession. 

* * *

“I’ll come with you,” Rose said, and Rey nodded. “Thank you,” she replied. 

Sitting in Leia’s office, Rey held Rose’s hand as tightly as she dared, fearful of hurting her. 

“Rose convinced me to come see you,” she told Leia. “Chewie helped, too. There’s something we need to discuss.”

Leia nodded. “What happened between you and my son.”

Rey and Rose’s eyes widened. “You know?” Rey asked. 

“I noticed the scar on your arm on Crait. And something had to happen to shatter my father’s lightsaber. I’ve also felt some interesting things in the Force; you two are not subtle.”

Rey was surprised, but Leia smiled, as if reassuring Rey that she would keep what she felt between them. 

Rey nodded and continued the conversation, wanting to explain further and not neglect Rose’s participation.

“He killed Snoke to save me. But then he didn’t want to leave with me. And we see each other in visions, or dreams, except that we’re really there. We can touch each other, interact with our surroundings.” 

“Luke and I both had visions, but never something like this,” Leia said, taking a sip of her tea. 

Rey nodded. “We didn’t know what it was at first either. Ben went to Coruscant to try to research it.”

“Do you want these visions to end?”

Rey took a deep breath. “No.”

“You think that you can still bring him home because of this?”

Leia’s eyes and voice were kind, as always. Just like Rose. 

Rey sighed. “I love him. I want to help him. I just don’t know how.”

Leia put her teacup down, then reached across the desk for Rey’s unheld hand. 

“I love him too, and I don’t know how either. Ben has to save himself. Neither of us can do it for him.”

* * *

Rose hugged Rey after their meeting with Leia. 

The two women sat outside the Resistance base, watching the sunset. 

“Thank you for encouraging me to talk to Leia,” Rey said. 

“That’s what friends are for,” Rose replied.

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to my beta boo Desiree as always. Please leave a comment with your thoughts, and come find me on Tumblr as well.


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